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Analysis

Analysis makes sense of the ideas that change the world, from economics to social affairs to global politics to political Islam. With thought-provoking and expert presenters, Analysis aims to make the world of policy and ideas both interesting and surprising. The programme broadcasts 26 episodes a year, in three separate series.

The Idea of the Caliphate 20 Oct 2014

Mon, 20 Oct 14

Duration:29 mins

What is a caliphate? What ideals does such an Islamic state embody - and how could or should it be implemented? Analysis consults a range of voices to explore how the concept has evolved and has been expressed over the centuries. Edward Stourton talks to historians, religious scholars and political thinkers who offer their perspectives on caliphates of the past, the revivalist rhetoric of the present and the beliefs shared by many Muslims about its future return.
Contributors:
Prof HUGH KENNEDY, School of Oriental and African Studies
Sheikh RUZWAN MUHAMMAD, Sunni theologian and scholar
REBECCA MASTERTON, Shia scholar
Dr REZA PANKHURST, author, "The Inevitable Caliphate?"
Dr CAROLINE FINKEL, author, "Osman's Dream: the History of the Ottoman Empire"
Dr SALMAN SAYYID, Leeds University, author, "Recalling the Caliphate"
Dr ABDOU FILALI ANSARY, Aga Khan University

The End of the Pay Rise? 14 July 2014

Mon, 14 Jul 14

Duration:29 mins

Wages have fallen for most of us for the last six years in Britan, which is unprecedented. We’re told that there’s a return in economic growth and yet wages have still not picked up. What has happened?
Is this a long term problem – is this the end of the pay rise? Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, explores the mystery of our falling wages and how wages are shared out between the top earners and the rest of us.

Varieties of Capitalism 23 June 2014

Mon, 23 Jun 14

Duration:28 mins

Can a country switch between different models of capitalism? The Economist's Britain politics correspondent, Jeremy Cliffe, explores whether the proposals put forward by some British politicians to transform the UK's economy into one more akin to that of Germany, Denmark and Sweden is remotely possible - or are we stuck with what we've got?

What is Wahhabism? 10 Feb 2014

Mon, 10 Feb 14

Duration:29 mins

Is the ultra-conservative 'Wahhabi' branch of Islam really the ideology behind Islamic extremism? Edward Stourton examines its emergence in 18th Century Saudi Arabia and subsequent interpretations, exploring its influence in the world today.

The Philosophy of Russell Brand 03 Feb 2014

Mon, 3 Feb 14

Duration:28 mins

Comedian Russell Brand wants a revolution - why are so many young people cheering him on? The Economist's Jeremy Cliffe explores the ideas and thinkers behind a new 'anarcho-populism' - the 21st Century activist's politics of choice.

Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood: Why Did They Fail? 30 SEP 2013

Mon, 30 Sep 13

Duration:29 mins

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party came to power in Egypt's first democratic elections but the party was ousted after just one year. Speaking to insiders close to Mohammed Morsi, Christopher de Bellaigue asks why the Brotherhood failed.

Who Decides if I'm a Woman? 18 Mar 2013

Mon, 18 Mar 13

Duration:29 mins

A spat between feminist Suzanne Moore and transgender rights activists played out on social networking sites, and then hit the headlines when journalist Julie Burchill joined in too. Jo Fidgen explores the underlying ideas which cause so much tension between radical feminists and transgender campaigners, and discovers why recent changes in the law and advances in science are fuelling debate – and have implications for all of us.

Making the Best of a Bad Job 18 Feb 2013

Mon, 18 Feb 13

Duration:29 mins

David Goodhart considers whether the declining status of basic jobs can be halted and even reversed. Successive governments have prioritised widening access to higher education to try to drive social mobility, without giving much thought to the impact this has on the expectations of young people who, for whatever reason, are not going to take that path. But even in a knowledge-based economy, low-skilled work survives. Offices still need to be cleaned, supermarket shelves stacked, and care home residents looked after. The best employers know how to design these jobs to make them more satisfying. Are politicians finally waking up to the problem?

Left turn to Catholic Social Teaching 05 Nov 2012

Mon, 5 Nov 12

Duration:29 mins

As leading opposition politicians with no prospect of more money to spend in Government look for new ideas, as bankers and business people seek to address growing public distrust, both are turning to a surprising source of inspiration. Catholic Social Teaching. What is this teaching, why do so many people think it is relevant now, and why does its growing influence raise difficult issues for the Roman Catholic church itself?

Labour, the Left and Europe 29 Oct 2012

Mon, 29 Oct 12

Duration:29 mins

A Eurosceptic Labour Party might seem unthinkable. But the European Union is changing and so too should Labour’s attitude towards it, argues Labour MP Gisela Stuart. She reveals to presenter Edward Stourton that she now believes Britain would be better off outside the EU. Her party continues to maintain a pro-European face but, Edward Stourton learns, the Labour leadership is preparing to recalibrate its policy as the Europe of workers’ rights gives way to the Europe of austerity and fiscal federalism.

Alternative economic cultures 15 Oct 2012

Mon, 15 Oct 12

Duration:29 mins

Professor Manuel Castells says the current financial crisis is more than just an economic downturn. The causes are so deep rooted that they have provoked a profound reassessment of our economic beliefs and institutions and given rise to new protest movements and economic cultures.

Obama's Foreign Policy 01 Oct 2012

Sick Society? 24 Sep 2012

Mon, 24 Sep 12

Duration:29 mins

A health gap exists in Britain: people in the wealthiest parts of the country, live on average more than a decade longer than those in the poorest parts. An academic discipline which tries to work out why this health gap exists has also grown. It’s called social epidemiology. Its findings have influenced governments all around the world. But not economists. They look at the same data and see something completely different. David Aaronovitch interviews the most prominent social epidemiologist, Professor Sir Michael Marmot, and hears the arguments against his science. Producer: Ruth Alexander

Political Prejudice 17 Sep 2012

Mon, 17 Sep 12

Duration:29 mins

How politically rational are you? What are your views on global warming, nanotechnology or the value of IQ tests - and are they based on scientific evidence or cognitive bias?
Michael Blastland talks to top international thinkers including Dan Kahan and Jonathan Haidt about our remarkable ability not to let the facts get in the way of deeply held belief.

Analysis Extra: The Philosopher's Arms: Law and Morality 17 Sep 2012

Mon, 10 Sep 12

Duration:29 mins

Why obey the law? Is there anything wrong with going through a red light at 3am in the morning if nobody is around? Does the law have any moral force? Questions for this edition of The Philosopher's Arms.

Analysis Extra: The Philosopher's Arms: Sorites' Heap 10 Sep 2012

Mon, 10 Sep 12

Duration:29 mins

Fuzzy logic and baldness: what's the connection? According to the Sorites' Paradox, it's impossible to go bald. If you lose one hair you don't move from being hirsute to being bald: one hair can't make any difference - and the same must be true if you lose a second hair, then a third... So it seems that nobody can ever go bald. That's the paradox addressed, with the help of some fuzzy logic, in this edition of The Philosopher's Arms.

Analysis Extra: The Philosopher’s Arms: The Fake Van Gogh 03 Sep 2012

Mon, 3 Sep 12

Duration:28 mins

Imagine a perfect art fake. A fake Van Gogh that is completely indistinguishable from the original. Does that mean it’s of equal value to the original? Find out in this edition of The Philosopher’s Arms.

Analysis Extra: The Philosopher’s Arms: Theseus’ Ship 27 Aug 2012

Mon, 27 Aug 12

Duration:28 mins

Personal Identity is a topic that’s long intrigued philosophers. What makes you you? What makes you the same person today that you were as a child? The puzzle addressed in The Philosopher’s Arms, with some assistance from the pop group, The Drifters

Analysis Extra: The EU Debate 08 AUG 2012

Wed, 8 Aug 12

Duration:43 mins

Should Britain stay in the European Union? With the crisis continuing in the eurozone, recent polls suggest that the vast majority of the British electorate would be in favour of a referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union. Evan Davis chairs a debate at the London School of Economics, and is joined by Sir Stephen Wall. The former diplomat and EU adviser to Tony Blair argues his position for Britain to remain in the EU against a panel which wants Britain out.

The Gold Standard 02 JUL 2012

Mon, 2 Jul 12

Duration:29 mins

Paper money versus gold backed currencies. Simon Jack asks if our financial system would be more stable if money was pegged to gold rather than created at the touch of a button by private and central banks

Neue Labour 02 Mar 12

Mon, 5 Mar 12

Duration:29 mins

Should Germany be the model for our future economy? Some British politicians, especially in the Labour party, think so. Matthew Taylor, a former policy adviser to Tony Blair, asks whether this is realistic.

America - The Right Way 27 Feb 12

Mon, 27 Feb 12

Duration:29 mins

The American primaries - Justin Webb explores what they reveal about the state of the right in the US. Is the Republican party really split? Has a radical wing taken over? What does the American right offer in the post financial crisis world - that might enthuse Americans and perhaps the rest of us too? And is the party ready to lead again?

Preparing for Eurogeddon 13 Feb 12

Mon, 13 Feb 12

Duration:29 mins

Europe thinks the unthinkable - what happens if the Eurozone splits. What would happen to the banking sector, how would a new currency be put in place, can contagion be halted, and more fundamentally could the Euro survive? Chris Bowlby runs through some of the scenarios of what may happen if a country were to withdraw, and, crucially, what would happen next.

Sheikh Rachid Gannouchi 06 Feb 12

Mon, 6 Feb 12

Duration:29 mins

After the Arab Spring, Islamic parties have won elections: should the world fear or trust them? Sheikh Rachid Gannouchi, an influential Islamist thinker, just returned from London to Tunis and won elections. Owen Bennett-Jones investigates his ideas combining Islam and democratic values.

Analysis Extra: Dead Cert 19 Dec 11

Mon, 19 Dec 11

Duration:29 mins

Certainty: is the lust for it a sin? And if so, should politics fear for its soul? Michael Blastland makes a plea for policy makers to be less sure of themselves in "Dead Cert", originally broadcast on 6 November 2008.
We hope you enjoy this programme - which we offer you while Analysis is off air.

Analysis Extra: A Price Worth Paying? 28 Nov 11

Mon, 28 Nov 11

Duration:29 mins

Banks are underwritten by the government in Britain. But should the taxpayer bail out so-called casino banks? In a programme previously broadcast on 1 February 2010 - Edward Stourton talks to the growing band of experts who believe that risk-taking investment banks should be forced to face the consequences of their losses.
We hope you enjoy this programme - which we offer you while Analysis is off air.

Martin Wolf: New Global Economics 2 21 Nov 11

Mon, 21 Nov 11

Duration:29 mins

Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times asks what changes are neeeded to the global financial system if the world is to fully recover from the worst economic crisis since the depression of the 1930s. Contributors include: Larry Summers, of Harvard and former member of Barack Obama's economic team; Zhu Min, deputy managing director, IMF and formerly of the Bank of China and Adair Turner, FSA chairman.
Producer: Sandra Kanthal
Editor: Stephen Chilcott

Martin Wolf: New Global Economics 1 14 Nov 11

Tue, 15 Nov 11

Duration:29 mins

Martin Wolf, chief economics commentator of the Financial Times, examines how the world economy has changed since the beginning of the financial crisis four years ago. Contributors include US Treasury Secretary Timonthy Geithner, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde and FSA chairman Adair Turner.

A New Black Politics? 13 Oct 11

Mon, 31 Oct 11

Duration:29 mins

David Goodhart meets the politicians who claim to advocate on behalf of Britain's black communities and asks how the ideologies of black politics have changed since the 1980s. The programme hears from David Lammy MP, Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Tory activist Shaun Bailey, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission Trevor Phillips, 1980s Black Sections politician Linda Bellos, and Stafford Scott, who was a community leader during the time of the 1985 Tottenham riots."

Euroscepticism Uncovered 17 Oct 11

Mon, 17 Oct 11

Duration:29 mins

As opinion polls suggest that half of Britons would vote to leave Europe altogether, Edward Stourton asks if the political class is now catching up with public opinion on the EU. The programme hears from several Eurosceptic Conservative MPs who feel that the issue is so sensitive that they want to remain anonymous. Edward Stourton also questions Conservative Home's Tim Montogomerie, former Chancellor Norman Lamont, Blue Labour peer Lord Glasman, and Director of the People's Pledge Mark Seddon."

Keynes vs Hayek - The LSE Debate 3 AUG 2011

Wed, 3 Aug 11

Duration:44 mins

John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek are regarded as two of the twentieth century’s greatest economists. Modern day followers came together at the London School of Economics to debate the ideas of their intellectual heroes. The event was chaired by BBC Newsnight Economics Editor, Paul Mason.

Unsure about Sure Start 11 Jul 11

Mon, 11 Jul 11

Duration:28 mins

The government says that despite budget cuts it is committed to Sure Start Children's Centres - one of the defining policies of the New Labour era. But in this week's Analysis Fran Abrams asks what the service - loved by parents - has really done for their kids.

Blue Labour 21 Mar 2011

Mon, 21 Mar 11

Duration:29 mins

Labour's traditional working class supporters are abandoning the party in their droves. But can Labour win them back without alienating the middle-class voters it needs to win the next election? David Goodhart explores the tensions between two traditions in the Labour movement - a liberal wing focussed on equality and diversity and a conservative strand that is more concerned with issues of solidarity and community.

Muslims and Muscular Liberalism 14 Mar 2011

Mon, 14 Mar 11

Duration:29 mins

David Cameron has proposed a 'muscular liberalism'aimed at better integrating Britain's Muslims. It aims to counter the alienation that has led to a small minority of British Muslim men being prepared to mount terrorist attacks. David Walker asks what the new policy will mean on the ground.

Emotional Intelligence in Schools 07 Mar 2011

Mon, 7 Mar 11

Duration:28 mins

The concept of emotional intelligence has almost become a global ideology. It's taught in the majority of schools in England and is popular in Scotland and Wales too. But what exactly is emotional intelligence, can it really be developed and how sound are its scientific claims?

Rethinking the Middle East 28 Feb 2011

Mon, 28 Feb 11

Duration:29 mins

The autocratic regimes of North Africa & the Middle East enjoyed many years of military, political and financial support from the United States government. Dr Maha Azzam looks at the recent history of US involvement in the region and the role that Israel plays in US/Arab relations. As violence & unrest spread throughout the region, will US policy vary state-by-state depending on its own interests? Or will President Barack Obama embrace the pro-democracy protests wherever they emerge?

Criminal Rehabilitation 8 Nov 2010

Mon, 8 Nov 10

Duration:29 mins

Kenneth Clarke has promised a 'rehabilitation revolution' in which private investors will fund projects aimed at cutting the re-offending rate - but will it work? Rehabilitation is hardly a new idea and so far it seems most attempts have made little difference.

What's Wrong with Child Labour? 20 Sep 2010

Foreigner Policy 08 Feb 2010

Mon, 8 Feb 10

Duration:29 mins

UK Immigration: were the unprecedented numbers of people migrating to Britain in the Labour era the result of a policy accident or design? In a programme originally broadcast on 8 February 2010, towards the end of the last parliament, David Goodhart looks at the arguments and ideology behind Labour’s immigration policy – including the claim that it pursued deliberate policy to increase diversity.
We hope you enjoy this programme from the Analysis archive, which we offer you while Analysis is off air.

Divorcing Europe 16 Nov 2009

Mon, 16 Nov 09

Duration:29 mins

EU withdrawal is being seriously discussed for the first time in a generation. But how would it work? In a programme previously broadcast on 16 November 2009, Analysis looks at the Lisbon Treaty, which contains a clause setting out an exit process. But, as Chris Bowlby reports, the final deal between Britain and its former EU partners would depend a lot on the mood of their "divorce" - amicable or acrimonious.
We hope you enjoy this programme - which we offer you while Analysis is off air.

Is the Political Elite Losing Touch? 22 Jun 09

Jackanory Politics 21 Feb 2008

Thu, 21 Feb 08

Duration:29 mins

Storytelling is an art that our politicians are keen to use on us. But are their stories getting in the way of making the right decisions? Frances Stonor Saunders finds that the desire for a dramatic narrative arc can sometimes lead us to ignore the humdrum but important facts. The programme includes an interview with the late Philip Gould. We hope you enjoy this programme - which we offer you while Analysis is off air.

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